Computer and communication technologies continue to advance at a rapid pace. Indeed, computer and communication technologies are involved in many aspects of a person's day. For example, many devices being used today by consumers have a small computer inside of the device. These small computers come in varying sizes and degrees of sophistication. These small computers include everything from one microcontroller to a fully functional complete computer system. For example, these small computers may be a one-chip computer, such as a microcontroller, a one-board type of computer, such as a controller, a typical desktop computer, such as an IBM-PC compatible, etc.
Computers typically have one or more processors at the heart of the computer. The processor(s) usually are interconnected to different external inputs and outputs and function to manage the particular computer or device. For example, a processor in a thermostat may be connected to buttons used to select the temperature setting, to the furnace or air conditioner to change the temperature, and to temperature sensors to read and display the current temperature on a display.
Many appliances, devices, etc., include one or more small computers. For example, thermostats, furnaces, air conditioning systems, refrigerators, telephones, typewriters, automobiles, vending machines, and many different types of industrial equipment now typically have small computers, or processors, inside of them. Computer software runs the processors of these computers and instructs the processors how to carry out certain tasks. For example, the computer software running on a thermostat may cause an air conditioner to stop running when a particular temperature is reached or may cause a heater to turn on when needed.
Computing devices may be used to monitor or control many different systems, resources, products, etc. With the growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web, computing devices are increasingly connected to the Internet so that they can be remotely monitored, accessed and/or controlled.
There are an increasing number of services that are available on the World Wide Web. A service that is available over the World Wide Web is referred to as a web service. In general, a “web service” is an interface that describes a collection of operations, services and/or data that is accessible through a communications network. A web service may be used individually, or it may be used with one or more other web services in an interoperable manner to carry out their part of a more complex operation. For example, using a purchase order transaction service may require automated interaction between a service for order placement at the ordering business and a service for order fulfillment at one or more of its business partners.
As web services continue to grow, there will be more users of web services. Sometimes users of web services may desire to know more about one or more web services that are available. Benefits may be realized if a rating system for web services was provided.